1. Field
This disclosure relates generally to providing network access through home network devices.
2. Background
Home-based network gateways, such as home wireless routers, are widely installed by users in order to have the flexibility of being able to wirelessly connect one or more devices to the home network and to the internet. A home network gateway creates a wireless network that is accessible throughout or in parts of a home or building. The wireless network coverage areas of a home network gateway may also include an area outside of the building in which the gateway is installed. The owner of the home network gateway may be the homeowner or some other user. The owner of the home network gateway may wirelessly connect various devices, such as, computers, media platforms, storage platforms, printers and the like, to the wireless network. The home network gateway wirelessly interconnects such devices and provides the ability for wirelessly connected devices to access the internet or download and/or stream content from the internet. The owner may also allow access to the local wireless network by other persons, such as family members or visiting friends, who are within the range of the home wireless network. For example, the owner may provide the access password of the home wireless network to visiting friends so that they can access the internet or corporate virtual private network (VPN) through the home network gateway. The connectivity to external networks, such as the internet or corporate VPNs, may be provided by an internet service provider (ISP) with whom the user typically has an agreement to provide internet access.
Often some or all of the network access capacity of the home network gateway remains unused because neither the owner nor any other user authorized by the ower uses the home network gateway at its bandwidth capacity for some duration of time. As more and more home network gateways are installed in the network, the bandwidth capacity that may sit idle may increase. Therefore, methods and systems are desired to better utilize the network access capacity of home network gateways.